Packaging of gas containing objects



Aug. 8, 1933. J, M YOUNG PACKAGING OF GAS CONTAINING OBJECTS Filed Nov.30, 1927 ATTORNEY Fatented Aug. 8, 1933 PACKAGING 0F GAS CONTAININGOBJECTS John M. Young, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to American CanCompany, New York, N. Y., a

Corporation ofNew Jersey Application November 30, 1927 Serial No.236,599

24 Claims.

This invention relates to the packaging of objects, such as tennis ballsand the like, which contain a fluid under pressure and which are subjectto deterioration through diminution of the pressure within the objectwhile in storage.

Tennis balls are manufactured of a rubber body consisting of a thinshell and provided with a cloth covering. Air or gas under high pressureis provided within the rubber shell and experience has demonstrated thatthis pressure decreases with time where the tennis balls are handled andstored, this being occasioned by the passing of the air or gas or theirconstituent parts through the rubber itself. This action is, of course,extremely slow, but it is nevertheless sufiicient to preclude longstorage without loss of resiliency. Because of this action, players intournament play have required balls newly filled with the gas underpressure and the usual player has been put to the necessity of carefullytesting the balls for resiliency at the time of purchase.

My invention has for its principal object the maintenance of thepressure in a tennis ball or other object without the use of providedgas or air pressure outside of the ball and merely through a new andimproved construction of the container, itself.

, My invention contemplates the provision of mold parts adapted-to fitthe ball or other object in full or substantially full surface contacttherewith, leaving no external space to receive gas or air passingthrough the ball wall. My invention contemplates also a tight'fitbetween the ball and mold parts which accomplishes two results; one ofwhich is that the mold itself provides a counter external pressure, andthe other of which is-that in slightly'compressing the rubber wall ofthe ball its permeability is lessened by contraction of its pores.

My invention has for a further object the provision of a container atthis source which may be readily opened without damage to the ball.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentas the same is better understood from the following description, which,taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferredembodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a hermetic container, consisting of twohalf shells or molds, inclosing a tennis ball according to my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 22in Fig. 1, showing a tennis ball inclosed within the hermetic container,and also showing the closing elements for retaining the parts of thecontainer in closed position;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the hermetic container after it hasbeen opened and the ball extracted;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmental sectional detail of the closingelements in their relation to parts of the half shells.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown on thedrawing a tennis ball and a container therefor. indicated at 11 andcomprises the inner rubber body 12 covered with cloth in the usualmanner. This tennis ball is encased, preferably with light contact, in ashell consisting of two semi-spherical container parts 13, 14, suchparts being dimensioned to fit the outer surface of the ball insubstantially full faced engagement therewith. The dimensions of thesesemi-spherical parts are further preferably such that when they arepositioned about the ball, as will be presently described, the ball iscompressed slightly.

This compression insures the full-faced contact between the ball and itscontainer and further places the rubber structure of the ball itselfunder compression. Each of the semi-spher- 8 ical parts 13 and 14 isprovided with an outwardly extending continuous flange 15 at its openside, and this flange after extending out in flat condition for a waysis bent or curled back upon itself as may be seen in Fig. 4. A band 16embraces the two flanges 15 when the containerparts encompass the balland this flange has an inwardly and backwardly curled edge 17 adapted toengage against and behind The ball itself is generally the curls of theflanges and to draw the mold' or container parts tightly together. Ifdesired, a gasket material 18 may be placed upon one or more of theflanges 15 to insure hermetic sealing. A tongue 19 is or may be providedto extend out from the flange at one point, this tongue being adapted tobe torn away severing the band along lines of tear 20. This action maybe facilitated, if desired, by scoring the material of the band. i

It will be manifest that in thus holding the superficial area of theball. Air or gas within no the 'ball under pressure cannot escapethrough the rubber wall since no space is provided for its reception.

It is thought that this invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood containing fluid under pressure, which consists inarranging said object in a container having side walls accuratelyfitting the walls of the object of this contained pressure andhermetically sealing said container to contain said walls insubstantially full faced contact with the entire outer surface of saidobject.

2. The method of maintaining fluid pressure within an object as a tennisball and objects containing fluid under pressure, arranging the objectin an impervious container of the general shape of the object and ofdimensions somewhat compressing the object as an incident to thehermetic sealing of the container, and hermetically sealing thecontainer to contain its walls pressed'into substantially tight fullfaced contact with the entire outer surface of saidobject.

3. The method of maintaining the fluid pressure in a rubber ball as fortennis and the like, which comprises positioning the rubber ball in asheet metal container of the shape of the ball and in full faced contactwith the ball and hermetically sealing said container.

4. The method of maintaining fluid pressure in a cloth covered rubberball as for tennis and the like, which comprises arranging the ballwithin a container of the shape of the ball and adapted to slightlycompress the ball and hermetically sealing the same.

5. The method of maintaining fluid pressure within an object as a tennisball and objects containing fluid under pressure, which comprisesproviding a container in parts approximating the shape of the object andof slightly less dimension, drawing said parts together about the objectto slightly compress the same in surface contact with the container, andhermetically sealing said container as an incident to said compressionof the object.

6. The method of maintaining fluid pressure within a resilient objectwhich comprises providing a metal container of the shape of and adaptedto tightly fit said object to slightly compress the same, arranging saidobject in said container and hermetically sealing said container.

7. An hermetically sealed container for packing and storing an objectcontaining fluid pressure, comprising portions shaped to theconfiguration of the object and fitting the same in surface contact, andsaid object confining within itself fluid under pressure and arranged insaid container.

8. An hermetically sealed container for packing and storing an objectcontaining fluid pressurewhich comprises companionable parts flttingtogether and combinedly fitting the object and entirely enclosing it insubstantially ing means hermetically securing said mold parts .together,and said object confining within itself fluid under pressure andarranged in said container.

9. An hermetically sealed container for packing and storing an objectcontaining fluid pres sure, comprising half molds fitting together andcompletely enclosing the object, and retaining means holding said moldparts in object enclosing position and hermetically sealing the same,and said object confining within itself fluid under pressure andarranged in said container.

10. An hermetic container for packing and storing an object containingfluid pressure, which comprises sheet metal mold parts fitting andcompletely enclosing the object in substantially full surface contacttherewith, retaining means holding said mold parts in retaining positionand hermetically sealed, and a tear away member for removing saidretaining means.

11. An hermetically sealed container for packing and storing an objectcontaining fluid pres sure comprising mold parts adapted together to fitthe object in surface contact throughout substantially the entire outersurface of the object, said mold parts having outwardly extendingflanges at adjacent edges and a band embracing said flanges for holdingsaid mold parts to the article and hermetically sealing them together,and said object confining within itself fluid under pressure andarranged in said container.

12. An hermetic container for packing and storing an object containingfluid pressure comprising mold parts adapted together to fit the objectin surface contact throughout substantially the entire outer surface ofthe article, said mold parts having outwardly extending flanges atadjacent edges and a band embracing said flanges for holding said moldparts to the article and hermetically sealing them together, said bandhaving a lip to facilitate its removal.

13. An hermetic container for packing and storing an object containingfluid pressure comprising mold parts shaped to conform to the outersurface of the object and of slightly less dimension, means for drawingsaid mold parts about the object to slightly compress the same insubstantially full faced contact with the mold parts.

14. The combination of a tennis ball and a container therefor adapted toprevent diminutionof its contained fluid pressure, said containercomprising sheet metal semi-spheres, enclosing the tennis ball' insurface contact with the inner semi-spherical surfaces, and meanshermetically connecting said semi-spheres.

15. The combination of a tennis ball and a container therefor adapted toprevent diminution of its contained fluid pressure, said containercomprising two semi-spheres of slightly less internal diameter than theexternal diameter of said tennis ball, and means drawing saidsemi-spheres about said tennis ball to slightly compress the latter andinto hermetically sealing relation. 4

16. A container for tennis balls and other objects containing a fluidunder pressure and comprising confining walls shaped to correspond withthe outer contour of the object and adapted to tightly confine and fit'the same, whereby to prevent escape of fluid through the walls of saidobject.

17. A container for tennis balls and other objects containing fluidunder pressure and comprising confining walls shaped to correspond withthe outer contour of the object and of slightly less dimension, meansdrawing said confining walls together to compress slightly the materialof the walls of the tennis ball to decrease its permeability, and meansholding said confining walls in confining position.

18. The method of preserving a tennis ball having fluid under pressureconfined therein, which consists in bringing together the parts of acontainer so that said parts substantially conform with the exteriorsurface of the ball, and then securing together said parts andhermetically sealing the container.

19. The method of packing tennis balls containing fluid under pressure,which consists in sealing the ball hermetically within a container andleaving substantially no space between the exterior of the ball and theinterior of the container.

20. A tennis ball having an elastic wall, a. medium within the balltending to distend its wall, and a removable preformed cover tightlyembracing the surface of the ball and holding it against expansion.

21. A play ball designed, when put in play, to conform to a prescribedsize and rebound requirement, the ball having a wall formed of avulcanized rubber composition and containing a medium exertingsuperatmospheric pressure tending to stretch said wall, and a removablepreformed restraining'jacket having an internal diameter not greaterthan the aforesaid prescribed size of the ball, said jacket tightlyembracing the surface of the ball and holding it from expansion.

22. The method of maintaining fluid pressure in a cloth covered rubberball as for tennis and the like, which comprises arranging the ballwithin a. container of the shape of the ball and slightly compressingthe ball by the container and hermetically sealing the container.

23. A tennis ball having an elastic wall, a medium within the balltending to distend its wall,

